CNN Student News March 25,2008

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MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: You've made your way to the start of a new edition of CNN Student News. Thanks so much for spending part of your day with us. I'm Monica Lloyd.
[b][color=#004276]First Up: False Start[/color][/b]
LLOYD: First up, the Summer Games are officially under way, as the Olympic flame gets going on its global tour. Yesterday marked the start of the 85,000-mile torch relay that takes the flame from ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, China. According to Olympic officials, Monday's lighting ceremony at the birthplace of the Games saw a first: a protest against this year's host country! Zain Verjee fills us in on the details.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN REPORTER: An embarrassing moment for China on the grounds of ancient Greece: protestors busting past security, flashing banners "Boycott the Beijing Olympics" as a Chinese official spoke during the symbolic lighting of the Olympic torch. The five Olympic rings shown as handcuffs. The host of the Summer Games, the target of world condemnation for its crackdown in Tibet, its investment in Sudan amid the violence in Darfur and its lack of human rights at home.
DAVID WALLECHINSKY, AUTHOR & OLYMPIC HISTORIAN: They should have never given the Olympics to a country that is run by a dictatorship.
VERJEE: Politics has invaded Olympics past. President Carter ordered a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. The Soviets retaliated by not showing up to the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. President Bush is promising to attend the Games in Beijing, saying it's not about politics, but about sport.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This president certainly hopes that our athletes who are training very hard have the best possible experience at the Olympics.
VERJEE: The U.S. needs China to help sanction Iran and get North Korea to give up its nukes. So, the U.S. is being careful not to freeze out China, even as it pressures its leaders over Tibet.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: There needs to be restraint, in which violence is not acceptable.
VERJEE: If the violence in Tibet gets worse, it may be hard for the U.S. to resist pressure for an Olympic boycott, and harder for the Olympic torch to make the the 85,000-mile trek to Beijing. Already, the city of San Francisco is keeping the run route secret, fearing protestors will stop the flame. Like this Tibetan woman who tried to stop a torch runner in Greece, lying on the road, covered in red paint.
The State Department is warning all U.S. citizens to watch out if they're going to Beijing for the Summer Games, because their hotel rooms or offices could be bugged or searched. China says that that warning is "irresponsible," and that all foreign visitors don't have to worry. Zain Verjee at the State Department.

[b]Is this Legit? [/b]
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is This Legit? The modern Olympic Summer Games have been held every four years since 1896. Not Legit! World War I canceled the 1916 Olympics, and there were no official, international Games in 1940 or 1944 due to World War II.
[b][color=#004276]Grim Milestone[/color][/b]
LLOYD: This summer will mark the second Olympics that have taken place during the Iraq war. We told you last week about the five-year anniversary of the start of the conflict. Well, it passed another grim milestone on Sunday, when the number of Americans killed in the war reached 4,000. Kyra Phillips spoke about the ongoing fighting with the commander of American forces in the region.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN REPORTER: I actually remember sitting in our editorial meeting in the newsroom talking about the number 1,000; 1,000 men and women dying in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now, here, going into the 6th year of this war, 4,000 men and women have died in this conflict. I had the chance to talk with Gen. David Petraeus, the head of all military operations here in Iraq. This is what he told me:
PHILLIPS: You talk about deaths being down, attacks on troops being down, even the president mentioned that in his speech. But still, the streets are so dangerous. Iraqis tell me everyday, "Yes, I'm trying to go to work, I'm trying to go to the grocery store, I'm trying to get to school. But I'm afraid of the explosions, I'm afraid that I'm going to be killed when I'm leaving my house and going to my destination."
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCES IN IRAQ: Well, interestingly, the week through last Friday actually saw a reduction in the overall level of attacks throughout Iraq. But clearly, also there have been some, in recent weeks, some of these headline grabbing attacks, sensational attacks, if you will. A tragic one in particular, a suicide vest attack in Karbala. Again, al Qaeda is intent on re-igniting sectarian violence. They have tried to do this all along.
PHILLIPS: And we must continue to remember the number of Iraqis that have been killed in this conflict, too. But it's much harder to put a solid point on that number: between 80,000, possibly more than 200,000 Iraqis have been killed in this conflict. We still haven't been able to secure that number. The Iraqis follow the death toll in a much different way, a much more archaic way than we do in the United States. But we can tell you at least two million people have fled this country since this war. Another 2.5 million people have been displaced during Operation Iraqi Freedom. However, the president of the United States still says this war is justified and the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power. Kyra Phillips, CNN, Baghdad.

[b]Iraq Blog [/b]
LLOYD: We asked you to share your opinions about the Iraq war on our blog, and we want to thank you guys for the incredible response: more than 160 comments so far! You can check them out and leave us your thoughts at CNNStudentNews.com.
[b][color=#004276]Political Parties 101[/color][/b]
LLOYD: All right, let's switch over to politics now, and dive into this month's Talking Democracy topic: political parties! Throughout American history, we've had the Federalist Party, the Whig Party, even the Bull Moose Party. But you probably know the two groups that dominate the current political landscape: the Democrats and Republicans. So, what are some differences between the two? Bill Schneider breaks it down.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN REPORTER AND SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: What makes you a Republican or a Democrat? Your view of government, more than anything else. If you think the federal government mostly helps people and protects them, you're probably a Democrat. If you believe government mostly interferes with people, you're probably a Republican.
Franklin D. Roosevelt created the modern Democratic Party. He brought together a coalition of groups that had one thing in common: They all wanted something from the federal government. Elderly voters wanted social security and later, Medicare. Labor unions wanted government to protect their right to organize workers. Poor people wanted relief from the Great Depression. Farmers wanted good prices for their crops. The New Deal taught Democrats that the power of government could be used to promote economic justice.
The civil rights movement of the 1960s, which was embraced by John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, taught Democrats that the power of government could be used to promote social justice. Minorities seeking to end discrimination joined the Democratic coalition: African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, gays and one non-minority group that wanted government protection: women.
By the 1970s, many Americans felt the federal government had become too powerful and intrusive. Ronald Reagan created the modern Republican Party. He brought together a coalition of groups that had one thing in common: They all had a grievance with the federal government. Suburban homeowners wanted lower taxes. Businesses wanted less government regulation. Some white men felt that affirmative action for women and minorities threatened their rights. Religious voters believed activist federal judges were violating their personal values and religious liberties.
Here's a test: if you think the federal government should be responsible for providing health insurance for every American, you're probably a Democrat. If you think the primary responsibility rests with people themselves, then you're probably a Republican. The Republican Party has always been the party of the in-groups in society: wealthier, more established groups that value tradition and the status quo. In short, conservatives.
The Democratic Party appeals to out-groups: the poor, the disadvantaged, the discriminated; people who are looking to change the status quo. In short, liberals. Republicans believe theirs is a party of winners and the Democrats, a party of losers. Democrats believe theirs is a party of progress and the Republicans, a party of privilege. Bill Schneider for CNN Student News, Philadelphia.

[b]Promo[/b]
LLOYD: Now that you've got some of the basics, we want to hear your take on political parties. Head to our Web page and check out our One-Sheet for some more background, and then send us an iReport with your thoughts on political parties, past and present. Plus, you can see how some Kansas students held their own caucus, and another class gives us reasons to exercise our right to vote. With parental permission, you can submit your own videos at CNNStudentNews.com.